Wengernalp railway

The Wengernalpbahn (WAB ) is a narrow gauge rack railway opened in 1893 in the canton of Bern. It runs from Lauterbrunnen via Wengen and the Kleine Scheidegg to Grindelwald. It was named after the scenic stretch of Wengen on the Wengernalp.

History

The original, old route called lines was very steep with up to 250 ‰ between Lauterbrunnen and Wengen and a great burden on the locomotives. Due to its course she was eisschlaggefährdet and was therefore each closed in winter. 1910 a new route was opened, which is caused by the lead in numerous tunnels and only has slopes of 180 ‰. However, the old route remained until the end of 2007 and was used for freight and empty trains. Each September wrong during the Jungfrau Marathon runs regularly between nostalgia trains over the old route, which could be used with ordinary tickets. 2009, the line was dismantled, remained on long distances alone the gravel bed. One reason was next to high operating costs that the track runs underneath of Wengen by a landslide that does not come despite continued interventions to stabilize peace.

Consist in Lauterbrunnen and Grindelwald interchanges to Berner- Oberland Railway ( BOB) to Interlaken. In Lauterbrunnen still exists after the Lauterbrunnen -Mürren ( BLM) and the bus routes to Stechelberg and Isenfluh. On the Kleine Scheidegg also the Jungfrau Railway (JB) begins.

1946 laid the plant community Wengernalpbahn / Jungfrau Railway (JB) their directorates with the Bernese Oberland Railway (BOB ) together; the railways in the Jungfrau region have since been managed and operated jointly. The administrative community received in 2000 as Jungfraubahnen Management AG its own legal personality, as a joint subsidiary of the Jungfrau Railway Holding ( its 100 % subsidiary of the WAB ) and the BOB.

On February 18, 1985, artificially triggered avalanche buried two trains Wengernalpbahn between Alpiglen and Salzegg. Two employees of the train were killed. On November 11, 1996 Föhnsturm tipped with wind speeds up to 150 km / h with the Salzegg from traveling to Grindelwald two-car BDhe 4/8 134 about. Several people were injured, some seriously. The trip served to evacuate trapped on the Jungfraujoch people.

Technology

The distance is 19.201 kilometers with racks along the entire length. The track width is 800 mm, the smallest curve radius of 60 meters. The racks are part of the Riggenbach system, modified by Arnold Pauli. The latest railcars, 28 km / h on the Mountain Road.

Operation

Thanks to the operational ability to follow the actual Kurszug by Folgezugbetrieb at a short distance further trains, the capacity can be optimally adapted to the needs in periods of heavy traffic. On the Grindelwald side, the trains run every half hour with slim connections to and from Interlaken Ost. Between Lauterbrunnen and Kleine Scheidegg trains run every half hour and also provide good connections to the trains of BOB.

In the WAB and the traction unit is always the downhill side. As with most rack railways with large inclinations, the drives are asymmetrical, the drive gears are located on the downhill side of each bogie. Also, the interior of the vehicles, in particular the slope of the seats, designed so that there is always a " mountain side " and a " valley " are. This also allows to assign the brake equipment for a descent direction and to simplify as much. Thus, a crossing of the pass at the Kleine Scheidegg not readily possible; the trains from Lauterbrunnen respectively Grindelwald up to Kleine Scheidegg, where the train has to be changed for the onward journey. To exchange of vehicles between the two lines a turntable was originally present. This was in 1947 replaced by a track triangle whose Ausziehgleis was built into the mountain as a 110 -meter tunnel into Kleine Scheidegg. It allows the switching of entire train compositions, but is not used in the timetable traffic, the use of ordered special trips, however, is possible.

Vehicle park

  • He 2/2 31-32 (1995 )
  • He 2/2 51-54 (1909 )
  • He 2/2 55-63 ( 1910-1912 ) sold to BOB for SPB, there No. 15-20 and 61-63
  • He 2/2 64-65 ( 1926/1929 )
  • BDhe 4/4 101-118 ( 1947 to 1964, to 1982 ABDhe ), 103, and 105 in 2005 scrapped 104 rebuilt in 2005 with three-phase equipment
  • BDhe 4/4 119-124; 120 -123 2009-2012 rebuilt with three-phase equipment, interior restoration, installation of a passenger information system
  • BDhe 4/8 131-134 (1988), 2010 incorporating train destination signs
  • Bhe 4/8 141-144 (2004)

The Wengernalpbahn possessed only a single two-axle passenger cars, the scrapped in 1907 and the base was used for the construction of a wagon. All had other cars and trucks have. 1961/62 were all new passenger car numbers; listed here are only those.

  • B 11-12, 21-39, 61-76, 78-79, 86-88 ( 1893-1929 ) four-axle timber van ( up to 1982 A, AB and B, total 42 cars) until 2008, all scrapped or sold
  • B 89-90 (1959) 2010 scrapped
  • Bt 211-214, 221-226, 261-278 ( 1961-1968 ) four-axis control car extended ( to 1982 At, ABt and Bt) to the railcar 101-124, 221 and 223 B controller, Bt 225 and Bt 276 2005 1985 scrapped
  • Bt 231 (1988) scrapped four-axis control car to 131-134, 2003
  • Bt 241-244 (1998, six-axis joint control car to drive carriage 119 to 124)
  • Bt 251-253 (2003, six-axis joint control car to the railcar 131 to 134 )
  • Xrote 11 (1928)
  • Xrote 12 (1945 )
  • Xrote 21 (2008)

Pictures

For decades, the typical train gear train shuttle

Brake gear of a wagon Wengernalpbahn

Zahnstangennweiche station in Lauterbrunnen

Above Grindelwald- Grund in winter

On the trip from Lauterbrunnen to Wengen

Two panoramic trains BDhe 4/8 below the Kleine Scheidegg overlooking Grindelwald

Grade (slope) Jungfrau-Marathon Wye (rail)
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